Merry Christmas from my family to yours! Hope you and your pups have a wonderful holiday season! 🐶🎄
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#enrichmentfordogs #enrichmenttoys #merrychristmas #dogenrichment #happydog #happyholidays #vancouver
Beautiful day for a swim!
Came to this lake for a scenic walk and Harley jumped in for a swim! 🐶🌊
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To say Harley enjoys swimming would be such an understatement. I don't think I've ever seen a dog who loves the water as much as she does!
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Harley's issues with dogs have been improving so much lately and it's so fun to see her become more confident and secure in herself.
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I was especially impressed when some dogs walked quite close to us while Harley was in the water and she didn't care. Turns out swimming is much more fun than worrying about other dogs!
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Little wins can make all the difference in a dogs training journey. Even though we wish we could snap our fingers and have our dogs immediately be the best version of themselves, the reality is things like this take time.
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All your dog wants is to know they are safe, they are loved and you've got their back. The rest is smooth sailing from there. 🐾❤️
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#dogtraining #dogbehaviour #dogtrainer #dogtrainingadvice #dogcognition #dogbehaviormodification #dogenrichment #dogsofcanada #positivereinforcement #forcefreetraining #fearfree #positivedogtraining #vancouver #vancouverdogs #northvancouver #northvan #coquitlam
Decompression walk in the forest
Come on a decompression walk with us! 🐕🐾
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Anyone have any tips on how to keep the bears away? I think we might need some bear bells 😅🐻
Little Rumble is needing a nail trim to get rid of those sharp puppy nails! 🐾🐶
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Having a good technique can make all the difference in your pup's experience with nail trimming. I always like to have something tasty to help distract the puppy and build a positive association towards the nail clipping process. Peanut butter worked perfectly for Rumble!
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Try and hold your pup's paws as gently and naturally as you can when you're working with them. Lifting their legs too high can cause injuries so we want to keep them as low as we can.
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Keep in mind to go slow, take small sections off at a time and look for the quick (stopping point before bleeding). On black nails it will look like a small black dot surrounded by white powder. On beige nails it will look like a small pink dot surrounded by white/beige powder.
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If you're still not feeling fully confident with this process, remember that there are fantastic dog groomers out there that can help you out! Most grooming shops offer nail trims as walk in services and the groomers have tons of experience on how to make nail trimming enjoyable for your pup.
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Just a quick disclaimer, I was a dog groomer for many years which is why it didn't take long for me to do the nail trim. If you're just starting out, please take your time and only work with what your pup is comfortable with. If your dog is struggling or uncomfortable, stop and try again later on.
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Hopefully we can help your pup have a great experience with nail trims! 🐕
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#dogtraining #dogtrainer #puppytraining #puppytrainingtips #puppygrooming #doggrooming #nailtrim #dognailtrim #vancouver #northvancouver #northvan #dogbehavior #positivereinforcement #fearfree
How to put a harness on a puppy for the first time.
Have you struggled getting your puppy's harness, collar or leash on? Here's a helpful way to build up some positive associations towards your pup's walking equipment! 🐶🐾
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We first start by letting your puppy choose if they want the harness on or not. In this video, you can see Rumble (the puppy) is happily putting his head right through the harness with no issues. However, if he had turned his head away from the harness, it would indicate that he's not consenting to this behaviour and I would stop moving it towards him until he's ready.
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As you can see, this first time might require a second person around to help with the buckles on the harness or collar. Each step of the way, we check to see if our pups are happy with what we're doing or if they're saying they've had enough. Thankfully, Rumble was a trooper and handled this exercise very well!
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Always keep in mind, dogs should have the choice to say yes or no in any situation. Going at their pace gives them agency over their body and their day to day lives. It might just look like a harness to us, but if someone was trying to put even a hat on you without your consent, you'd probably feel pretty negatively towards that hat and that person for that matter.
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This is just our first step to building positive associations towards the walking equipment. Soon we'll be able to ask Rumble to sit and have these items put on for less treats until he'll be so comfortable that we might not need the treats at all!
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Remember to take your time and stay consistent! Your dog will thank you for it.🐕
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#dogtraining #puppytraining #puppytrainingtips #walkies #dogbehavior #consentmatters #vancouver #northvancouver #northvan #puppytraining101 #dogtrainer #dogbehaviormodification
Ever wonder why my pup is on a longline in some of my videos? 🐾🐶
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Longlines (long leash) are one of my favorite dog training tools! They give your dog the feeling of being off leash without the risk of actually letting your dog off leash.
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These leads can be amazing tools for anyone with a new puppy learning to explore the outdoors, teaching recall cues to a dog of any age, taking your dog for decompression walks in the neighborhood or, in the case of my pup, letting her swim in a stream without the risk of her going down the waterfall it leads to 😅
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If you're feeling like you want to get some off leash time with your dog or do some training at longer distances, I'd definitely recommend picking up a long line! The one I'm using in this video is 30 ft long (even though it's a bit tangled lol)
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We're still working on Harley's recall so having her attached to a long line provides me with peace of mind and the ability to let her explore while still keeping her safe. I recommend bringing it in a backpack when you're going for walks and finding quiet, open spaces to try it out!
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#dogtraining #dogtrainingadvice #dogbehavior #dogbehaviormodification #puppytraining #puppytrainingtips #vancouver #northvancouver #dogreactivity #positivedogtraining #positivereinforcement #fearfree
Enrichment with cardboard boxes
Do you have any extra cardboard boxes around the house? Fill them up with some tasty snacks for your dogs and let them go to town!
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These kinds of fun games can be a great way to help your dog unwind, have some mental stimulation and build confidence.
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What's your dog's favorite treat to search for? 🐶🐾
It might be too cold out for a walk today but we can still give our pup's some fun mental activities to work on! 🐕
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These puzzle toys are great way to get out some mental energy and a fun challenge for your dog while they're stuck inside. You can find these at most pet stores and on Amazon but you can also make your own puzzle toys and snuffle mats at home!
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Cardboard boxes filled with treats, old towels rolled up with treats or cupcake tins filled with kibble with tennis balls on top are just a few examples of fun activities you can make for your dog at home.
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Giving your dog activities to enrich their lives can help your dog become more confident and relaxed at home. What kind of mental games do you play with your dog? 🐾
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#dogtraining #enrichment #dogtrainingtips #dogbehavior #dogsofcanada #dogenrichment #puppytrainingtips #puppytraining #dogcognition
